Television and science fiction entered mainstream American life simultaneously, in the late 1940s, and intertwined almost immediately. Series like Space Patrol and Tom Corbett, Space Cadet were staples of 1950s children’s programming, while anthology series such as Out There and The Twilight Zone catered to adults. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Star Trek, The Six Million Dollar Man and similar SF-adventure series were – for better or worse – the most visible public face of the genre for all of the 1960s and much of the 1970s. As blockbuster films assumed that role in the post-Star Wars era, televised science fiction gradually emerged as a venue for character-driven dramas like Quantum Leap and long-form epics like Babylon 5 and the retooled Battlestar Galactica. Other national science-fiction traditions produced their own small-screen landmarks, from Astro Boy and Doctor Who to Lexx and The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne.

The Rowman & Littlefield series “Science Fiction Television” is seeking proposals for books that take a rigorous, scholarly approach to the subject without sacrificing clarity and readability. Volumes that trace themes, subjects, and careers across multiple series; that explore hitherto neglected productions; and that deal with science fiction television outside the United States are particularly welcome.

Volumes in the series should run approximately 80,000 words exclusive of notes, bibliography, and index. Authors and editors are responsible for negotiating and securing their own permissions for use of images, illustrations, and other material subject to copyright.

Rowman & Littlefield is primarily interested in monographs, but proposals for edited volumes will also be considered if they are of exceptional quality or cover unusual subject matter.

Proposals should include a discussion of the volume’s significance, its relationship to existing scholarly literature, intended readership, a proposed table of contents with chapter abstracts, estimated length, numbers of images, and a projected delivery date.